2009 HONDA RIDGELINE tailgate

Your vehicle has higher ground clearance than a passenger vehicle designed f or use only on pavement. Higher ground
clearance has many advantages f or of f -highway driving. It allows you to travel over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good visibility so you can anticipate problems earlier. Your vehicle also has a shorter
wheelbase, allowing it to respond quicker to the steering wheel than other sport utility vehicles with a longer
wheelbase.
In addition to these characteristics, your vehicle’s pickup bed area allows you to carry more cargo and has the dual-
action tailgate to handle the items easily.
These advantages come at some cost. Because your vehicle is taller and rides higher of f the ground, it has a high
center of gravity. This means your vehicle can tip or roll over if you make abrupt turns. Utility vehicles have a
signif icantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is signif icantly
more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. As a reminder, make sure you and your passengers always wear
seat belts.
Overloading or improperly loading cargo could af f ect your handling and the vehicle’s stability, and could result in a
crash. Make sure the cargo is properly loaded and all items are secured in the pickup bed area.
For inf ormation on how to reduce the risk of rollover, read ‘‘Driving Guidelines’’ on page of this manual and thesection on page . Failure to operate your vehicle correctly might result in loss of
control or an accident. 268
306
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
Important Handling Inf ormation
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Your vehicle is equipped with seat
belts in all seating positions.
Seat belts are the single most
effectivesafetydeviceforadultsand
larger children. (Inf ants and smaller
children must be properly restrained
in child seats.)
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
The pickup bed is not equipped with
seats or seat belts. Do not let anyone
ride in the pickup bed as they can
easily be thrown out and be killed or
seriously injured.
In addition, most states and all
Canadian provinces require you to
wear seat belts.
Your seat belt system also includes
an indicator on the instrument panel
and a beeper to remind you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
Keep you connected to the vehicle
so you can take advantage of the
vehicle’s built-in saf ety f eatures.
When properly worn, seat belts:
Help protect you in almost every
type of crash, including:
frontal impacts
side impacts
rear impacts
rollovers
Your Vehicle’s Saf ety Features
Seat BeltsWhy Wear Seat Belt s
8
Not wearing a seat belt properly
increases the chance of serious
injury or death in a crash, even
though your vehicle has airbags.
Be sure you and your
passengers always wear seat
belts and wear them properly.
Allowing passengers to ride in
the pickup bed or on the tailgate
can result in death or serious
injury in a crash.
Make sure all passengers ride
in a seat and wear a seat belt
properly.
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See pages f or important
guidelines on how to properly
protect inf ants, small children, and
larger children who ride in your
vehicle.
The f ollowing pages provide
instructions on how to properly
protect the driver, adult passengers,
and teenage children who are large
enough and mature enough to drive
or ride in the f ront.
After everyone has entered the
vehicle, be sure the doors are closed
and locked. Bef ore driving, be sure
the tailgate is also closed.
Your vehicle has a door and
tailgate open indicator on
the instrument panel to indicate
when any door or the tailgate is not
tightly closed. Your vehicle also has an
In-Bed Trunk open
indicator to show when the In-Bed
Trunk lid is not tightly closed (see
page ). Your vehicle also has a tailgate, In-
Bed Trunk, and door open indicator
on the multi-information display to
indicate when the tailgate, the In-
Bed Trunk, or a specif ic door is not
tightly closed. You will see the
appropriate indicator(s) and
message(s) f or each condition.
You will also hear a beep when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position, and each time you open
any door, the tailgate, or the In-Bed
Trunk with the key in the ON (II)
position.
Your vehicle also has a
tailgate and door open
indicator on the inf ormation display
to indicate when the tailgate or a
specif ic door is not tightly closed.
You will see the appropriate
indicator(s) f or each condition.
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75
54
CONT INUED
On models with navigation system
On models without navigation system
Protecting A dults and Teens
Introduction
Close and L ock the Doors
1.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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When one or more doors are not
tightly closed, the ‘‘DOOR OPEN’’
message will come on.When the In-Bed Trunk is not tightly
closed, the ‘‘TRUNK OPEN’’
message will come on.When the tailgate is not tightly
closed, the ‘‘TAILGATE OPEN’’
message will come on.
Protecting A dults and Teens
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Adjust the driver’s seat as far to the
rear as possible while allowing you to
maintain f ull control of the vehicle.
Have a front passenger adjust their
seat as far to the rear as possible.
Locking the doors reduces the
chance of someone being thrown out
of the vehicle during a crash, and it
helps prevent passengers f rom
accidentally opening a door and
f alling out.
Locking the doors also helps prevent
an outsider f rom unexpectedly
opening a door when you come to a
stop.
This vehicle has auto door locking/
unlocking f eatures. See page f or
how to set them.
When the In-Bed Trunk, tailgate,
and one or more doors are not
tightly closed, the ‘‘DOOR, TRUNK
& TAILGATE OPEN’’ message will
come on. 104
CONT INUED
Protecting A dults and Teens
Adjust the Front Seats
2.
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
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During a crash, the
belt could press deep into the child
and cause serious or fatal injuries.
If they do, they
could be very seriously injured in a
crash. Children who play in vehicles
can accidentally get trapped inside.
Teach your children not to play in
or around vehicles. Know how to
operate the emergency In-Bed
Trunk opener and decide if your
children should be shown how to
use this f eature (see page ).
Opening or
closing the tailgate could cause
accidental injuries.
Even very young
children learn how to unlock
vehicle doors, turn on the ignition
switch, and open the windows,
which can lead to accidental injury
or death.
If you are not wearing a
seat belt in a crash, you could be
thrown forward and crush the
child against the dashboard or a
seat-back. If you are wearing a
seat belt, the child can be torn
from your arms and be seriously
hurt or killed.
If a child wraps a loose seat belt around their neck, they
can be seriously or f atally injured.
(See pages and f or how to
activate and deactivate the
lockable retractor.)
For example, infants and small
childrenleftinavehicleonahot
day can die f rom heatstroke. A
child lef t alone with the key in the
ignition switch can accidentally set
the vehicle in motion, possibly
injuring themselves or others.
Leaving children without
adult supervision is illegal in most
states and Canadian provinces,
and can be very hazardous. This can prevent
children f rom accidentally f alling
out (see page ). 46 47
104 117
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Protecting Children General Guidelines
Never put a seat belt over yourself
and a child.
Never let two children use thesame seat belt . L ock all doors and t he In-Bed
T runk when your vehicle is not inuse.
T each your children not t o play onthe pickup bed.
K eep vehicle keys/remot etransmitters out of the reach ofchildren.
Neverholdaninfantorchildon
your lap.
Make sure any unused seat beltt hat a child can reach is buckled,the lockable retractor is activated,and the belt is f ully retracted andlocked. Do not leave children alone in a
vehicle.
Use t he childproof door locks t o
prevent children f rom opening t herear doors.
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This section gives inf ormation about
the controls and displays that
contribute to the daily operation of
your vehicle. All the essential
controls are within easy reach............................
Control Locations .60
............................
Instrument Panel .61
..........
Instrument Panel Indicators .62
.............................................
Gauges .76
..............
Multi-Inf ormation Display.82
Controls Near the Steering
...........................................
Wheel .93
........................
Multi-Control Lever .94
........................................
Headlights .95
...............
Headlight Control Dial .95
........................................
Fog Lights .97
........
Instrument Panel Brightness .98
.................
Hazard Warning Button .99
..........
Steering Wheel Adjustment .99
................................................
Keys .100
......................
Immobilizer System .101
..............................
Ignition Switch .102
....................................
Door Locks .103
............
Childproof Door Locks .104
Auto Door Locking/
..............................
Unlocking .104
.....................
Remote Transmitter .110
.....................
Dual-Action Tailgate .113
.............................
In-Bed Trunk .116
...............................................
Seats .119
..................................
Seat Heaters .126............................
Power Windows .128
.......................................
Moonroof .131
...............................
Parking Brake .132
...........................................
Mirrors .133
.........
Interior Convenience Items .135
.........................
Center Console .136
.......
Console Compartments .136
.........................
Cargo Hooks .137
.....................
Beverage Holders .137
..................................
Glove Box .138
................................
Coat Hooks .138
....................
Sunglasses Holder .138
........
Accessory Power Sockets .139
...................................
Sun Visor .140
............................
Vanity Mirror .140
........................
AC Power Outlet .141
...............................
Interior Lights .142
.....................................
Bed Lights .144
Instruments and Controls
Inst rument s and Cont rols
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On models without navigation system. On models with navigation system.
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
1:
2:
3: On RTS, RTL models, and Canadian EX-L models.
Instrument Panel
Inst rument s and Cont rols
61
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE MINDER INDICATOR
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM INDICATOR
SEAT BELT REMINDER INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
INDICATOR
CRUISE MAIN
INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR
VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA)
SYSTEM INDICATOR
VTM-4 INDICATOR
BACK WINDOW OPEN
INDICATOR
PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE
SYSTEM INDICATOR
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR
LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATOR
BED LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
A/T TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
IN-BED TRUNK OPEN INDICATOR (P.72)
(P.70)
(P.70)
(P.75) (P.65)
(P.63)
(P.63)
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR
LAMP (P.63)
(P.74) (P.69)(P.75) (P.82)/
INFORMATION
DISPLAY MULTI-INFORMATION
DISPLAY
(P.77)
(P.67) (P.71)(P.68) (P.62)
(P.64) (P.66) (P.71)
SIDE AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR
(P.64)
(P.67)
MESSAGE
INDICATOR (P.74)
DOOR AND TAILGATE OPEN INDICATOR (P.75) WASHER LEVEL
INDICATOR
DAYTIME RUNNING
LIGHTS INDICATOR
(P.67)
(P.67)
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS) INDICATOR (P.66)
VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR (P.67)
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR (P.68)
HIGH BEAM
INDICATOR
LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR/
TPMS INDICATOR TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS) INDICATOR
(P.69)
(P.73)
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3
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